Does Gaga have autism?

[PornoDanceFight 274]

Speculating on whether or not someone is neurodivergent is a very slippery slope, and while I'm happy that there's more awareness and acceptance of those with neurodivergence, I don't think its right or our responsibility to speculate in such a way. Plus, considering how people have already speculated on Gaga's physical anatomy in the beginning of her career and how forthright she's been with her own mental health, I think we should have learned how such speculation can be harmful.

On topic: I do not think she's on the spectrum. I think her massaging her legs at the piano is to fight any potential pain flare ups.

[AddMeOnMYSPACE 2,054]

Those are also the same symptoms for being a witch too 

[Nine Inch Heels 704]

lots of overlap with adhd but also, who cares. lots of people experience these things and arent on a spectrum

Edited 16 hours ago by Nine Inch Heels

[Jackaroo 2,081]

honestly, it kind of freaks me out that I know a lot of friends in my life who have been diagnosed or suspect they have c-ptsd, autism and adhd in their 30s, myself included. I think adult autism is a topic deserves more people should talk about because a lot of folks have gone undiagnosed or been misdiagnosed with something like bipolar, and there's still a pretty big social stigma around it. 

[Nagini 3,388]

Now everybody has autism and is self-diagnosing themselves as such 

Give it a break please. She has zero problems across any diagnostic criteria and we shouldn't be speculating on stuff like that. 

[Alxjcgn 722]

3 hours ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I honestly just think speculating about someone else’s health (mental health, neurodivergence, etc) is kind of invasive (not that it would be shameful or an insult to imply someone was autistic or anything). Also I think the criterion people apply is overly broad and a lot of people online have a tendency to overly pathologize human behavior in general (categorizing fairly normal behaviors as ADHD symptoms, trauma responses, signs of autism etc). 

I agree and while she is a public figure, we can speculate on our own but not attach anything to it because she has shared enough information about her mental health in the last several years that we can understand she has been through a lot and we can empathize with her. 

I will even refrain from sharing my own ideas because I do not wish to begin discussing a non-existent 'label' for someone I don't even personally know (although I have thought about her a lot in that way as someone who used to study biopsychology), but I believe she is at a point where she fully owns her mentality again and she has found a way to embrace everything that made her who she is today. It is so heart-warming to see how happy she looks on tour everyday when a video pops up on my feed, and I think whatever she may battle is no longer limiting her or driving her creative direction in a way that causes harm to her.

A lot of people have generalized and given a name to something lately and I so agree with you. I think if someone relates to what they have learned, they should seek a professional to assist them in a proper diagnosis and the correct treatment (There is so much overlap in mental health, that is why we have professionals... they are there to help separate the muddy waters and help you). I know that it is one of the most inaccessible forms of care possible in many places and so I empathize with this too, but I plead with everyone to not become their own doctors and instead use information given to learn more and discuss it with the appropriate professionals. 

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 26,636]

I’m quite sure we would be aware by now if she was autistic, it’s not something a huge pop star like her can keep private for a long time, especially when her health was already a subject of speculation in the media at the beginning of her career and at the peak of her exposure (2010 ; does Lady Gaga have lupus ? Lady Gaga reportedly has suicidal thoughts etc.). Not that it’s a disease or anything, but the media was HUNGRY for discoveries about Gaga’s personal/mental/physical life

Edited 14 hours ago by AVeryGagaHolyDick

[StrawberryBlond 14,984]

Some traits of autism are also traits of other conditions and therefore cause conflation and confusion. There's some elements of myself that made me wonder if I was on the spectrum but I don't match the biggest, most classic symptoms and I'm sure someone would have sat me down and suggested I get diagnosed by now, considering that I've been around people who can detect autism. I think what could be presenting as autism is actually my shyness, OCD and (presumed) ADD. Those things can present similar to autism traits (introversion, awkwardness, feeling different and misunderstood, preferring routine and disliking spontaneity, extreme rituals, hyperfocus and obsession, trouble calming down an overactive brain, etc). Remember that Gaga's also gone through a lot of trauma, which can play a major role in how we conduct ourselves and the energy we give off. We shouldn't be diagnosing someone we've never met. It takes actually interacting with someone to get the full measure of them, which is why doctors diagnose in person. 

[nATAH 51,600]

7 hours ago, faysalaaa said:

Im Autistic, and I follow youtubers that are Autistic that love to speculate on whos Autistic, I never thought it was an issue.

well now you know

[faysalaaa 4,948]

1 hour ago, nATAH said:

well now you know

Hmm no I dont know yet, I need to be convinced and think about it more

[Omegahedron 213]

10 hours ago, Louvre said:

The words sound the same if you speak in a british accent. I understand the confusion

As a Brit, I can confirm this is not the case. 

[meltedplastic 452]

You guys sound really ignorant tbh
As an autistic person too, I don't think its an issue to speculate whether or not a public figure is on the autistic spectrum.

Some of you are acting like that is a bad thing, most creative geniuses are on the spectrum tbh

No one has the authority to diagnose Gaga, just like no one has the authority to tell others to not have a conversation on whether certain public figures show neurodivergent traits.

unrelated, but growing up and finding out Courtney Love was autistic literally helped me so much with my own identity 
 

[Gorehound 4,788]

17 hours ago, David Ward said:

1. She has deep special interests and obsessive focus - She immerses herself fully in projects and creative concepts. She has a level of hyper focus and all encompassing interest in specific topics (fashion, fame, music production).

2. Intense sensory experiences - She has revealed in the past her hypersensitivity to sound and emotion. She said in interviews she can feel music physically and that overwhelming stimuli can be both painful and euphoric. Sensory sensitivity is common in autistic people. 

3. Ritual and routines - She def has creative ritual habits and needs routine and structure which reflects traits of autism 

4. Extreme empathy - She has described being deeply empathetic often makes her emotionally exhausted. These feelings are strong and can be overwhelming for her.

5. Early childhood - She was misunderstood and bullied. Autistic people are often described as being out of sync with their peers 

6. Stimming - Rubbing her legs to soothe herself 

 

People without autism can experience all these things to you know. Also all these symptoms are common in highly creative people. 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Gorehound

[Gorehound 4,788]

13 hours ago, ****oDanceFight said:

On topic: I do not think she's on the spectrum. I think her massaging her legs at the piano is to fight any potential pain flare ups.

Or just a side effect of high adrenaline, from performing etc. 

[Brazilwood 4,225]

First we need to stop diagnosing other people, secondly, those criteria are very loose. Any diagnosis should be made by professionals based on the DSM-5 criteria which are very specific.

We need to stop with the "sleeping with T-Rex hands is a sign of autism". Diagnosing is a serious thing and any behaviour that people deem "non-conforming" is being put on the autism box when it could just be manifestations of your upbringing. Any person, autistic or not, has a history, an upbringing, that makes them be the way they are.

For example: parents who are hyper present and hyper vigilant can bring up children who lack social skills, like difficulty connecting and understanding social cues. You need a professional, psychiatrists and psychologists, to identify if that could be a symptom of autism or just the effect of that person's upbringing. 

The same way excess use of smartphones can cause symptoms of ADHD. Like reduced attention span. It doesn't mean you have ADHD, it just means you developed similar symptoms, but the cause is different.